[Vision2020] Wasted Money: City Level

[Saundra Lund]

Visionaries:

Wow -- I just watched the City Council vote to spend  ***our*** money to
help two City Council members retain legal counsel to figure out whether or
not they have to comply with Idaho Public Records Law with respect to
official business conducted from "private" email accounts.  In a nutshell,
our money is going to be spent to try to figure out how to get around Idaho
Public Records law.

Of course, it's a no brainer that once public officials choose to use
"private" email accounts for public business, they lose the expectation of
privacy with respect to official business they conduct from those "private"
email accounts.  More concerning, I think, is the use of "private" email
accounts to conduct public business in an attempt to avoid both legitimate
public record requests *and* public scrutiny of public business.

This is just crazy -- our City Council, led by John Weber and egged on by
Gary Riedner, just agreed to spend $2500 for *initial* legal advice for
*each* of the two City Council members (Steed and Krauss) -- out of a
legislative available pool of  $10,000 -- who are apparently balking at
turning over public records. Spend Crazy Weber made it clear
we-the-taxpayers should be on the hook for as much money as it takes for
these two Council members to fight complying with public records law.  And
Weber also felt perfectly comfortable in making a snarky response to the
sole Council member who wasn't comfortable giving carte blanche in the form
of an open checkbook to defend the attempt to *not* comply with Idaho Public
Records Law.  Clearly, the expectation of professional conduct in conducting
public business is far and above Weber's abilities.

The fact of the matter is that if they were willing to turn over the items
that are, by definition, part of the public record, there would be no need
for *us* to pay for private legal counsel for them.  It will be interesting
to see what attorneys are going to benefit from this public financial
windfall.

And, of course, all of this could have been easily avoided had they simply
used City-supplied email accounts rather than trying to hide things from
public view for a personal "pet project" that a clear majority of tax payers
don't support.  The City has been well aware for quite a long time of the
specific problems with "private" email accounts being used to conduct City
business, yet they've chosen to take the path of least resistance, which is
now costing us Real Money, not to mention eroding public confidence.

Not surprisingly, both Council members who are trying to avoid with
complying with Idaho's Public Records Laws were GMA candidates.  If nothing
else, the actions of these two Council members make clear that GMA is
heavily invested in continuing the good ol' boy network that absolutely
hasn't served our community well.

Coupled with the changes in fees they also approved tonight to make getting
public records more expensive for us, it's clear this current council
doesn't give a rip about transparency or accountability.  It's all about the
good ol' boy network being alive and well here to continue to allow public
business to be conducted out of public view, and they ought to be ashamed.

So, here's the real test of those who turned out for local Tea Parties:  do
you really care about the issues you protested?  If so, you have an
obligation to protest this blatant waste of ***our*** scarce local taxpayer
funds.  If you can't make a difference locally -- in your home town -- then
your efforts at the bigger picture are meaningless.  So, let's just see how
genuine your concerns really are.  Pardon me if I don't hold my breath
because looking at the GMA leadership, it doesn't take a genius to see that
those involved are totally hooked into old ideas of leadership that have
historically failed to serve our community well.

And, to John Weber:  you're the one who clearly has no interest in
generating goodwill when you are oh, so willing to waste the hard-earned
taxpayer dollars you take from us to advance your personal special
interests.  You perceive that your buddies are "under attack" simply because
a member of the public understands Idaho Public Record Law.  How about you
taking the time to inform yourself -- there's really nothing complicated
about the issue -- before you go off half-cocked yet again?  Give us all a
breath of fresh by showing you have the *ability* to actually understand the
issues that come before you -- there are a great many of us who continue to
wait . . . and wait. . . and wait for that glimmer of actual understanding
rather than your knee-jerk responses to "defend" your personal buddies at
the expense of the clear spirit and intent of Idaho's Public Records Laws.

Basically, I'm of the opinion that if we-the-people don't *demand*
transparency and accountability in our own community, it's foolhardy to
think we'll ever get it at the state or federal level.  And, sadly, the
actions of our Council tonight is a great example of that truism.


Disgusted,
Saundra Lund
Moscow, ID

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do
nothing.
~ Edmund Burke

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70 years, Saundra Lund.  Do not copy, forward, excerpt, or reproduce outside
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